


Misfit Toys

by orphan_account



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: AU, Anger Management, Depression, EreAni - Freeform, EreAnnie, F/M, I'm Going to Hell, Intervention, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Shipping, Triggers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-12
Updated: 2014-08-20
Packaged: 2018-02-08 12:17:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1940739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren Jaeger is twenty-one, and since he was twelve years old, he has had severe anger management issues and separation anxiety. It looks like there's no help for him, until his parents sign him up for special interventions with kids suffering from emotional and mental issues, just so he can get therapy around people that are just like him. He's not very thrilled, at first, to be attending this...MIISCFTT Foundation: Mental Illness Interventions of Shinganshina City for Troubled Teens (he's not even a teenager.)</p><p>Then he meets a girl.</p><p>Her name is Annie, and she is a mystery that Eren can't figure out. She appears to be cold, only caring about her art and when the intervention closing time is. He doesn't even know why she's even there. But then he starts to unravel her brain, and see why she's so apathetic and coarse. </p><p>Annie is just like him. Annie and Eren are outcasts; misfits, along with the rest of their troubled group of youths. Whether they can survive in a world full of cruelty, however, remains to be seen.</p><p>[EreAni angst/fluff, slight EreMika, side JeanMarco, Springles, YumiKuri, and one surprise pairing you're gonna love.</p><p>[Narrated by Jaeger Bombastic himself.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Complicated Complications

"It's for your own good, honey. We're doing this because we love you."

Bullshit. 

My mom stared at me with her normal sweet gaze, trying to smile at me like the current situation was a happy one that we should all be proud of. Although, I don't see any reason to be proud of going to a weekly intervention for teens with mental disorders. 

They called it the MIISCFTT Foundation. Mental Illness Interventions of Shinganshina City for Troubled Teens. Or at least, that's what my mom said. 

My dad hadn't said anything since they told me I was going to be attending these things starting next Sunday. He just sat there, reading his newspaper, like whatever shit happened yesterday in Trost was way more important than his son going to mental therapy sessions. 

Well, I didn't really blame him for that part, since this was a bucket of BS all on its own. You think so too, right?

Well, your opinion will probably change when I tell you that I have severe anger management issues and separation anxiety from my mom and my two friends, one that used to live with me up until she turned seventeen. I fucking hate it.

Personally, I didn't think my case was that bad, just kind of bad, well, up until my mom just said I would have to go to weekly interventions to learn how to deal with it and not to feel like it was an abnormality. 

"Eren," she stated, "we're doing this because we don't want you to feel outcasted. A lot of kids your age have bipolar, but...not as severe as you do." Carla Jaeger was a woman of a sweet, generous outlook on life, but she really wasn't making me feel any better about this. 

Maybe it's just because I'm prone to have severe bouts of anger when it comes to my family and friends being attacked. Or maybe it was because I got into a lot of fights at school because of my disorder. 

We used to think my rage fits were just mood swings, but that was only up until I changed from being concerned about a few poor victims of the punks in elementary school to actually beating down the bullies to the point where I could have gotten arrested if I weren't ten.

Then there was that other time when I started to get paranoid that my mom wouldn't make it to work safely because there was a tornado watch in our state. I had to go to the office and call her to make sure she was still alive.

Now we all have to accept that I'm a fucking firecracker who can't stand being by myself.

It's really bad, but we've already established that, though, right?

"Your father says that these would be the best for you, and he's a doctor, sweetie. We really should go with his opinion." My mom then stated, giving me a sweet smile.

And still, my dad refused to move from his seat. I was half-tempted to smack that newspaper out of his hands, but I think that was just the lack of sleep talking. Or it could have been the fact that I hadn't eaten since 9 AM this morning. It was a quarter after 3 in the afternoon. 

"Fine." I found myself giving into this situation like it was nothing. But I guess you can't really argue with your parents unless the matter is really stupid, am I right?

Yeah. I'm right.

\------------------------------------------

It had me pissed. It really did.

Not as much the fact that my mental health issues had to be looked at be therapists. Not as much the fact that I was soon going to be sitting in a room with people I didn't even know.

It was the fact that I thought I was fine and nobody else did.

Oh yeah, and that my dad looked like he didn't even give a shit.

But whatever. All I wanted to do was go home, get in my pajamas, grab some vanilla ice cream and soda, and then marathon Supernatural until 4 AM in the morning.

It's what I do when I'm upset. I'm a fucking mess. A fucking hotheaded dependent emotional mess that has to go to stupid interventions since Dr. Dad recommended them even though it looked like he didn't even fucking care based on the fact that mom did 99.9% of the talking in the conversation I just got out of.

I gritted my teeth. I couldn't help that my emotions ran rapid, probably like some kind of murderous river that would rip apart humans just from the twists, turns, and sharp rocks. I was worried that in a few years I would be surrounded by men in white coats having to be spoon fed because my straightjacket wouldn't let me move my fucking arms!

I should take this time to point out that I am only twenty-one years old. I've been an adult for three years now and my parents are still making decisions for me.

I probably should have just brushed it off. I mean, they're my parents, right? And it was a decision regarding my mental health. 

It's not like they were feeding me from a bottle and tucking me in while telling me that oh-so-sickening story of how the huntsman saved Little Red Riding Hood and Granny from the Big Bad Wolf for the, I don't know, umpteenth time.

Or it could have been those rare nights when dad's boss, Mr. Pixis, came over and he would tell me the explicit version where the wolf actually had a thing for Red and got arrested for beastiality and pedophilia. Oh, well. He was a drunkard, anyway.

My truck was beaten up and nasty from about four years of use. Rusted and scratched all over, the paint was chipping off, I won't lie, it was a fucking mess.

It was probably enough to make even Mikasa scream.

Did Mikasa even know how to scream? Probably not.

Mikasa and I have an interesting relationship. She's lived with my family for a while as a foster child, and she's supposed to be my best friend that doesn't have testosterone, but our relationship is far more complicated than that.

Long story short, I kind of saved her life when we were, I don't know, twelve year-olds? Ever since, she's been incredibly protective of me.

And sort of possessive.

It's gotten to the point where I have to fill out a form if I'm going to talk to another girl.

Not really, but it almost seems like that. It's complicated and I won't go into that until later.

I cruised down Sina Drive when my phone rang that familiar sound, a song that we we had made fun of for almost our whole middle school and highschool years. I laughed when I heard it, mostly because the tune did not fit the caller at all.

~My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, and they're like, it's better than yours. Damn right, it's better than yours, I could teach you, but I'd have to cha-

"Hey, Armin."

My friend's voice was clear through the iphone I held in my palm. This is what I liked about having some kind of money in my hands.

I get the money from working at the Barnes & Noble in the Shiganshina Mall. It's kind of like a home away from home. Nice. Quiet. There's silence always ready to be broken, and it normally is when some idiot comes through with nothing else better to be doing in life after downing thirteen trillion shots at McGlynn's. 

"Eren!"

"Yo."

"Where are you right now?"

"In jail, obviously."

My response was deadpan. I was still kind of pissed about the whole intervention thing, so I really wasn't in the mood to deal with peppy blondes.

I loved Armin, though. Why else would I room with him? Well, he was kind of my only option besides living alone, since I was going to prove to Mikasa she didn't have to shelter me all my life. It's been that way for about two years.

I used to live with my parents, but moved out since I was growing up and I wanted independence.

AKA I got in a fight with my dad after he caught me drinking at a highschool party even though it was three years later. 

I could see the frustration through Armin's phone. This wasn't the first time I had made that joke, and even though it kind of disturbed him, it wouldn't be the last.

"Do you really have to say that whenever I call?!"

"Yes. You love it. Admit it."

"Shut up!"

I gave him a hearty laugh as my response. Armin isn't normally the type to get angry.

The closest he gets is 'flustered.' His cheeks puff out and he gets all red in the face, then slightly extends his head forward and lightly yells out either 'shut up' or tries to swear at us.

Although it never works. The closest he came to 'fuck' was 'fudge', and we ended up teasing him about it for the rest of the night.

Poor kid. 

"So what did you need?" I then asked, turning the curb to my left and stopping at a red light.

"Can you maybe...take over my shift tonight at Barnes & Noble? You know, the five to nine one?" His voice was small and nervous, but that was normal. Armin is as sharp as a tack, but he has a tendency to be rather sensitive and timid.

It's kind of adorable. I would be lying if I said he has never made me even slightly question my sexuality.

"Armin, that's closing. Last time I tried to close, I almost lost my job."

"Please, Eren?!"

"What is this even for?!"

"I have special tutoring today. Like, late night tutoring and I can't cancel. You have to do this for me, please!" 

I sighed. Armin is one of my co-workers at Barnes & Noble. In fact, he actually got me my job there. He's won Employee of the Month, like, four times in a row. He's had my back, too, covering up messes that I've made and stuff that I fucked up over and over again.

So I had no choice but to agree to take his shift.

"Fine."

Screw watching reruns of Supernatural and the vanilla ice cream.

\------------------------------------------

When I pulled up, I found Mikasa on the front steps of our flat's apartment building.

Now, this shouldn't sound strange until I say that she's already been on the front steps of our flat's apartment building for two other days this week prior to today (which is a Thursday, mind you.)

She looked up when I shut my car door, walking down the sidewalk that led to the front of the apartment.

"Mikasa?" I asked, stopping before I ended up kicking the poor girl. Not that I really could, though. Mikasa could kick my ass like nobody else. 

She looked up at me with her shadowy, emotionless eyes that looked they were carved up from ebony. When I opened my lips to say something else, she took out her red earbuds.

"How long have you been waiting here?" I asked.

She checked the silver watch on her right wrist, then looked up and casually said, "It's only been a half an hour. You're fine. I had entertainment."

She then smiled at me, sweetly. I love my friend, I really do. Although, like I said, our relationship is complicated.

She leaned over so her lips brushed up against my ear, and said, "I really need some relief today. This week's been fucking insane."

And I knew what she meant. This is kind of normal for us.

Complicated.

\------------------------------------------

I slammed her up against the wall the moment we reached my bedroom, her hands working wonders as she quickly undid my zipper and my pants fell to the floor in minutes.

"What's wrong?" I asked her as she sucked and bit down on my neck like it's nothing. I shivered at her teeth's contact with my skin, which is far more tanner than hers.

"My prick of a boss was once again drunk and giving me a hard time, what else is new?" Mikasa's tone was apathetic and worn out. This is another daily thing for her, not as much me. I don't work with her.

Mikasa works as a paid intern at the police station. She's been majoring in law enforcement, and last I heard, she was at the top of her class.

She looked at the clock, then back at me. "This has to be quick, Eren. I have classes in two hours." 

I nodded, unbuttoning her shirt. "That's fine with me."

\------------------------------------------

I had a shift that wasn't even mine in three hours and here I was fucking a girl who was supposed to be my foster sister.

Mikasa didn't even stay once we were done. She quickly got herself showered, dried, and dressed. 

And then she left again.

That's why our relationship is so complicated. We have sex with eachother on a weekly basis. According to law, my parents are her guardians, and I'm supposed to be her best friend that she used to live with. According to law, I am considered to be the closest thing she has to family beside Grisha and Carla Jaeger. If she is being held after doing some stupid shit, I am a candidate to go and bail her out (although, my parents would probably have done it in a more civilized way, because even if it's only holding, my method of bailing her out would have involved a crowbar and a cheap police costume I bought at the dollar store.)

According to our standards, we're friends with benefits.

We're not related, so it's not incest, right? Didn't think so. 

I wanted to take a nap, but I ached. I honestly ached. That's why sex is so hard to have right before you have work. Sure, I had three hours, but still. 

Sliding on my pants, I walked into the living room and almost nearly had a heart-attack when I found Armin sitting on the couch and seeming to be captivated in Keeping Up With the Kardashians or whatever reality show shit was on TV.

"Hi, Eren." He said, blinking.

Wait, did he show up here before Mikasa left? Did he show up while Mikasa and I were banging? God, I hope not.

"How long have you been here?" I asked, wiping the sweat off of my forehead.

"Only five minutes." My blonde friend stated, blinking. "Why do you ask?"

"Just because I didn't hear you come in, is all." 

"Why are you all sweaty?"

"Just got back from a jog before you came up."

"Oh."

It was very important that Armin or anybody else didn't know about the sex life I had with Mikasa. Remember, living in the same house? Boy and girl? Hormones? People would think what we were doing was incest, even if we weren't related and I thought of Mikasa as a friend and NOT a sister.

"Your shift starts in three hours, you know." The boy scolded, and I rolled my eyes. 

"I know, I know, Mom." I responded, running a finger through my hair. It was wet and greasy from the previous session I engaged in with Mikasa.

Armin stood up, patting me on the back, and then walked towards the door, saying, "I have to get ready for my study session. It's stretching all the way from three to nine and I have to be there soon." 

I blinked. "You're leaving me this early?"

"Sorry, Eren. I'll catch up with you later, okay?"

And then he was gone.

And I was alone.

I really didn't like being alone, if you can't tell. When I'm alone, I feel empty, like  
My phone started to beep. It was my alarm, letting me know that I had to start getting ready soon for this stupid shift. I nodded, sighing. "I'm going, I'm going."

\------------------------------------------

Our Barnes & Noble is huge, let me start off by saying that. Each floor is like two McDonald's buildings smashed in one, and there are two floors. There's a Starbucks on the first floor that I always find myself stopping by, and on the second floor, where I normally am stationed, there's lounge in the middle where readers can pretty much just chill out and do normal stuff.

Armin works on the bottom floor, and since I was working his shift, that's where I was. 

And you have no idea how _boring_ it was.

After 5 PM, Shiganshina mall has this rule where no children under the age of fifteen are permitted to be by themselves to prevent pedos from running off with them. 90% of those kids leave since they don't want their parents to see what they're doing in the mall (and some of that is freaky shit).

So as you probably guess, the mall dies down after that time, and Barnes & Noble is a very popular store for that age group, so we were kind of slow that night. We only had about six customers and hour, when normally it's twenty. 

I pitied my friend for his shitty shift, not only because it was boring, but because most of the people who walked in were snotty people who were old enough to be my parents. I have a tattoo on my left wrist with my mother's initials on them, C-L-J, and some crotchety old woman was staring at it with the evil eye.

And then of course I had a leather rope necklace with the key to my old house dangling from it. A guy in his mid forties stared at me strangely and asked if I was part of a cult.

Excuse me, you are not my fucking father, and if I want to be a part of a cult, it will be to SEND YOU TO MORDOR. 

Remember earlier when I said I was pissed? Yeah, still pissed. Coffee would help with that.

When I was on my thirty minute break, I strolled over to the other side of the floor and into the mini Starbucks bar. It was kind of unoccupied, all except for the woman that gave my tattoo the stink face and a blonde girl that was drawing on a sketchpad. 

"One vanilla frappucino with a pump of almond syrup, please." My favorite drink was apparently a part of the fanmade 'secret menu' or Starbucks, although, of course, I was ordering it before the 'secret menu item' was made. I bowed my head and took my drink once it was made, and turned around to go sit at a table when suddenly...

I collided with the drawing girl.

Spilling my drink all over the floor and onto her sketchpad.

The girl, who I had gotten a clearer view of, was short, probably about five foot. She was of average build, her blonde hair being pulled back into a bun. The most outstanding feature on her face was her hooked nose, which most people thought of as unattractive. Maybe because they watched too much Wizard of Oz in their childhood?

Her eyes were scary, though. They were like ice, such a pale blue, then when I looked into them I thought they'd be able to freeze Hell over. The fact that they were filled with such rage and anger did not help, either.

"Y-You..." She suddenly stated, gritting her teeth.

I felt like she was going to punch me, by the way her fist was raised and in a ball like she was ready to fight. Her knuckles were bruised, too, like this was not her first time hitting a guy in the face.

I raised my arms above my head as a terrible shield to protect myself.

"I-I'm sorry! It was an accident!"

Geez, this sounded like a bad Disney channel movie. You know, the guy does something to piss the girl off and then they end up falling in love and some mean girl is turned on the good side because everybody should be friends?

Although, this girl did not look like she was going to fall in love with a guy who destroyed her work with almond syrup and whipped cream.

"It's...fine." The girl then lowered her fist, almost shakily, biting her bottom lip and looking down. 

She then tried to gather her sketchbook, at least what wasn't ruined, and then stormed out of the store angrily.

I looked at the remaining papers that were either crumpled up and wet or stained by coffee. Picking them up, I sighed.

"...Well...that was a waste of $3.45."

At least my face was in one piece.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wellll....first fanfic on here, why not start off with some OTP angst/fluff, huh?
> 
> Yeah, this is actually my first Attack on Titan fanfiction in general, and I am actually really excited for it, since it's an AU where all of my precious babies have something wrong with them AHAHAHA-
> 
> But anyways, I love EreAni, despite it not being such a popular ship as, oh, I don't know, Ereri, AruAni, or EreMika, maybe? (All three of which I ship but not as OTPs.) Annie's my favorite character in the series.
> 
> If you didn't look in the tags, some parts of this story will contain triggers for suicidal thoughts, domestic violence, any mental health issues, and depression, so read at your own risk.
> 
> I know none of the trainees or Levi, Hanji, and Erwin don't appear in this chapter, well, Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and Annie do, but it was kind of impossible not to open up with them. This chapter was just full on exposition and I am sorry.
> 
> If you like it, let me know!


	2. Punch

Armin was nice enough to drive me to the MIISCFTT building, but his form of reassurance didn't actually make me feel any better about going in there with a bunch of freaky therapists and kids who probably licked a slide in their childhood years.

"You're going to be fine, Eren." The blonde boy told me with a small smile.

I gave Armin a quick glare, saying, "You're not the one who has to go in there with a bunch of people you don't know."

My friend rolled his eyes, shaking his head and pulling up to a large, white building that looked like the illegitimate daughter of the YMCA and Best Western. I sighed, stepping out, but stopped when Armin cleared his throat again.

"Eren, I don't want to sound like a mom here, but....this is meant to help you." He smiled, bright eyes shining. "Maybe you can make some new friends."

I sighed, waving at him as he drove off and staring at the black car that slowly faded away into the distance, getting smaller and smaller each inch.

"Eren Jaeger?"

I turned around at my name, looking at a woman in a yellow blouse, black slacks, and glasses over nutty eyes. Her chestnut hair was pulled back into a thick, messy ponytail, and the grin on her face made it look like she might as well be a patient of a mental hospital.

"U-Uh..." I stuttered. "Yes...?"

"Wonderful!" The woman exclaimed, taking my hand slightly bowing. "I'm your therapist, Dr. Zoe. You can call me Hanji, though." She tilted her head and smiled as I pulled away.

She then stuck a sticker onto my chest, the stupid one with the 'Hi, My Name Is-', and then my name messily written on the blank line with a sharpie. 

This lady was my therapist? She was like Frankenstein and the Tenth Doctor's distant cousin that just so happened to have way too much shock therapy in the nuthouse.

She honestly kind of intimidated me.

Honestly, I didn't even know who was running this thing. I wasn't even sure if Mom and Dad knew. I was terrified that this was one of those places where they say they're going to help you, but they actually mess with you and make you worse, like in that one song in Japanese (Armin listens to that stuff) about the orphans that apparently play games by stabbing other children. 'Circle You, Circle You,' I think it was called.

But, my parents were doing this for me, so I had no choice but to trust and follow her down the hall.

"Here's your room, Room 12. I'll be back in about ten minutes, so get to know some of your new group buddies, okay?" 

I peeked inside, not really wanting to open the door and make myself known. There were people I didn't even recognize, most of them as quiet as Armin. Many people caught my eye, like the guy with the buzz cut that texted on his phone, the muscular guy laughing while patting a tall teen's shoulder, and then her.

 _She_ was there.

And by 'she', I mean the sketchbook girl from the Starbucks in Barnes & Noble. She had one of those nametags, too, and her name did not really fit the hooked nose, the scowl, and, of course, those icy blue eyes.

_Annie._

I was jolted out of my small period of staring at her by the door opening, and a friendly girl that looked like she could be Hanji's younger sister smiling at me warmly.

"Hi!" She said, grabbing my arm and pulling me inside. "You're the last member of our little confession circle, right? Nice to meetcha!"

Her nametag read 'Sasha', a name that I was only familiar with for playing way too much Team Fortress 2. Though, to be honest, this girl looked like she wasn't cut out for shooting any type of weapon. She was long, lean, lanky, and from the looks of the dark circles under her eyes, lethargic.

"Eren, right?" I looked up after hearing my name, and then I said, "Uh, yeah... Eren Jaeger."

And then Sasha chuckled. "What's so funny?" I asked, slightly annoyed.

She grinned. "Jeager, like the alcohol. But I think it's actually spelled with two dots over the 'a', like that really differs from the original sound. But whatever; I'm only a fifth German."

The brunette girl dragged me over to sit next to her and the bald kid, and I got a better glimpse of the people around me. 

"Eren, this is Connie, my partner in crime. Say 'hello' to Eren Jaeger, numbnuts."

Connie stuck his tongue out at Sasha and then grinned at me and waved. "Welcome to the nuthouse, Jaegermeister."

"That's not my na-"

"WELL IT IS NOW." The both of them called, then sat back and started laughing. Sasha then pulled out a can of Pringles and handed a chip over to Connie, then at me.

"Take one, dude." She said, the fried food crunching under her teeth. "We're your buds, now. Nobody knows eachother except for only a select few, so you might as well feel welcome by the best of the bunch." She and Connie then looked at eachother and fist-bumped.

I looked around, and my eyes fell on a lone boy sitting in the corner. His features were normal except for the piercings in his ear and lip, along with the top of his hair being a light brown and the bottom matching tree bark. 

"Who's that guy?" I asked, not being able to see the nametag due to the guy crossing his arms.

Connie then coughed on his chip, nodding as Sasha patted his back. "That's...Jean." He sputtered, sitting up straight. His eyes were red from almost choking.

"I think he has some kind of anxiety, maybe... His buddy was in a car crash and...didn't make it out too well, at least, that's what Sasha told me."

The girl eating the potato chips nodded. "We used to date, and ever since two years ago when Marco landed in the hospital, he has never been the same." She chimed in.

I frowned. I would hate to be in his situation like that. If Armin had died in a car crash, even if I wouldn't be there, I would still blame myself. It would eat at me to the core, since I'm the kind of person that breaks everything I touch.

It's because I have no control.

Although, I'm going to elaborate on that later. 

"Do you guys know anything about the people that are in charge of this whole thing?" I then asked, blinking. 

Connie then suddenly grinned. "Sash knows. She's good at hacking and reading into information for stuff like that."

The brunette punched him in the arm, making the male wince. "Connie, you know you don't tell anybody that!"

"It's part of the reason why you're here!"

"Shut up! At least I didn't sneak in here to be with my best friend!"

"That's not a bad thing!"

"YOU DO NOT BELONG HERE WITH THE MENTALLY UNWELL."

I sighed, facepalming, and grabbed Sasha's wrist on impulse and made her look at me. Through gritted teeth, frustrated at their argument, I ordered, "Tell me what you know about them."

The girl swallowed the potato chip in her mouth and then sat up.

"Well..." She began. "I've only met Dr. Hanji in person, but including her, there's...three of them, I think. The guy up top is Dr. Erwin Smith, and the other guy that's going to be in here helping us is Dr. Mike Zacharius."

I nodded. "Interesting names." I replied, shortly.

Connie then laughed, saying, "I know, right?! It's like they came from some kind of alternate dimension!" He was then smacked on the head by a Pringles can.

"You mean Germany." Sasha stated, eyes focused on a magazine in her lap.

"Whatever, I can dream!" The bald boy then shot back, sitting down.

While they were caught up in their second vocal skermish, I looked back over to where Annie was. She was sitting in a chair with her legs crossed, doodling on a piece of paper.

I instantly felt guilty again for knocking into her at the Starbucks bar. Oh, she must have hated me now.

I judged that by the way she boredly looked up at me, almost scowled at me, and then looked back down and erased something on her paper. 

I almost wanted to walk up to her; tell her I was sorry. But if I did that, there was a good chance I would get that punch in the face she wanted to give me a few days ago.

And then the door opened. 

"Good morning, folks!" Hanji's voice filled the whole entire room, and in her normal singsong way. She grinned widely.

"So, I guess some of you have gotten to know eachother, right?" 

I nodded, along with Sasha, Connie, the muscular blonde, and a girl with freckles that was leaning against the wall. 

"Great, and even if you didn't, then get ready because we're about to get to know everybody in this room, got it?"

Hanji looked around the room, brown eyes scanning the entire perimeter. "Now, who would like to go first...?" When nobody raised their hand, she took initiative and pointed to a little blonde girl up front. 

The girl blinked in shock, then looked down, rubbing her arm. "W-Well, I'm Krista, and I....I have Multiple Personality Disorder, or at least, that's what they tell me." She laughed, nervously, looking up.

Her innocence was strange. It was almost unnatural, or at least in my opinion. It all seemed too...fake. Too sweet.

"Now, Krista, what's the name of your other identity?" Hanji asked, politely, jotting down notes onto her clipboard.

Krista shuffled, responded, "Her name's Historia, and she's a lot more...I guess you could say apathetic. She doesn't really like people, and is always sad."

The woman then nodded, and looked over at Sasha. "You." She then instructed, and Sasha sat back.

"Welp, I'm Sasha, nice to meet all of you, and I am what you would call a kleptomaniac. I've never been in Juvie, but I've gone to lots of boarding schools, and let me tell you, the kids there are just major pu-"

"I think you've talked enough, Sash." Connie said, quieting the girl before she could finish her sentence.

Hanji grinned, asking, "Now, do _you_ mind telling us about yourself?"

Connie shrugged. "I'm Connie Springer, and my problem is that I...well..." He sat back, crossing his arms. "I don't want to talk about it. Just bad memories."

I almost thought Hanji was going to force him to talk about his 'issues', and then he would have to come up with this sobstory or something just to stay in the group with Sasha. 

I couldn't help but respect that, even if Sasha would be fine on her own. 

And then she looked at me. "Eren. I like you, so it's your turn." I blinked, but I did as I was told.

I huffed, crossing my arms and looking down. I was not good at _all_ with introductions. On the first day of school, I kept flubbing my speech when we did all of those 'get to know you' assignments. This was torture, and I was twenty-one.

"I'm Eren. Eren Jaeger, like the drink." I stated out of the blue, looking up. "I have severe anger management issues and separation anxiety, and I really don't know anybody here, so...so I..." I looked around.

Sasha and Connie were staring up at me with concerned faces, and everybody else's stares bored into my body. I clammed up under pressure.

"...And I don't want to be here and I can't do this." I finally admitted, running out of the room and dialing Armin. 

"Eren!" Hanji called, Sasha standing up and yelling, "Jaegermeister! Where're you going?!"

I slumped down in a random hall and sighed in relief as my blonde friend finally picked up his damn phone. "You...You have to come and pick me up, Armin." I told him, chest heaving.

"Eren?" Armin's concerned voice asked. "Eren, you have to do this. You can't rely on me and Mikasa forever..."

"I know, I just... I can't... None of you are here and it bothers me." I blurted out, looking down.

"Eren, you need to stay."

"I can't, Armin! I'm in a room full of people I don't know! And what if you get hurt?!"

"Eren, I'm hanging up now."

"ARMIN-"

And then he was gone, and I was left with a beeping cellphone in some hallway.

Footsteps slowly walked down the hall, sneakers squeaking with the tiled floor. I was about to run again, straight out that door, until a hand stopped me.

"Let GO!" I screeched, and as impulse, I swung my fist around and ending up nailing somebody in the eye.

Somebody with blonde hair tied back, icy irises, and a hooked nose. Annie.

The girl stepped back, holding her right eye in pain. She gritted her teeth, more in anger, and looked up at me. "What is WRONG with you?!" She yelled, and then quickly jabbed her fist at my nose.

I felt a crunch, and I was knocked backwards with blood gushing out of my nose. Guilt rested in the pit of my stomach. This was the second time pissing off this girl, and this time, I actually _hit_ her. I _hit_ a woman.

As Annie ran down another hall, probably to some kind of bathroom, I found Sasha and Connie running in my direction. "Eren!" The bald one yelled, noticing the fluid coming out of my nose.

I felt myself getting dizzy from the loss of blood, since that was quite the punch, and I had never lost _this_ much. It was probably normal for some people, though.

"Eren?!" Sasha called, and my eyes fluttered closed, everything going black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I managed to squeeze out another one for you guys that like this little fic. ;) Hope you guys liked it.
> 
> I never realized how fun it is writing for Sasha and Connie. They're probably my favorite part of this chapter.
> 
> Honestly, I have no idea what to say here, so... see you next chapter!


	3. Mom

I felt sick when I woke up.

But then again, in a hospital, who wouldn't?

The room was filled with white and light blue stuff, as usual, and beside my hospital bed sat Dr. Hanji, Armin, and Mikasa.

"Ooooh, he's awake!" Dr. Hanji exclaimed, running over with her clipboard and smiling straight at me. It was kind of creepy how enthusiastic and energetic the brunette was. I was scared that inside her head was the mind of a psychopathic killer. Maybe it was, and maybe she liked seeing me in this kind of torture.

"W...Wha..."

"EREN!" Armin shrieked, running over and leaning over my bed. "I am so, so, so sorry! I didn't know it was that bad or else I would have picked you up right away! I just-"

"Armin..." I groaned, my nose in excruciating pain. I could put up with it, though, enough to calm down my friend before I ended up passing out again. The sun was setting outside, so I could tell I hadn't been here for a few days or so. That was slightly calming on my end. "It's not your fault, you didn't know how bad it was. I should have made the decision to call Mikasa instead, that's all."

My Asian friend sighed, putting a hand on mine. It was tired and asleep, but I could still feel it at her touch. Mikasa's soft, warm, comforting touch...

"I would have come and gotten you right away, Eren. It's fine." Mikasa said to me, softly smiling as she ran her hand up and down my wrist. It was nice to see that she at least know how bad my separation anxiety was. I couldn't bear to stay away from both of my friends. 

"The doctor said you'd be okay to go as soon as you woke up, Eren, so up and at 'em!" Hanji grinned, her and Armin taking my arms to sit me up in that cold ass hospital bed. The sheets were incredibly thin, but it had a comforter...that was also incredibly thin. The word is spelled HOSPITALity, right?

My legs were like jelly, probably from laying down for so long, however, the blonde and the brunette eventually got me to walk right. 

Luckily, nobody changed me. It would have felt weird to get changed by some old doctor or young nurse. Although, aren’t some people into that as like a kink or something? Sexy nurse? Creeps me out, to be honest, but people have preferences and that was one that I did NOT have.

“Hopefully you don’t have to go back to that place…” Mikasa whispered in my ear as we started to walk into the parking lot.

However, Dr. Hanji walked by, grinning and waving. “I’ll see you at the next meeting, Eren! Everyone is going to be so happy to see you’re okay!”

Fuck.

\------------------------------------------

I marched over to my parents’ door, sighing as I used the spare key I had to get in. Mikasa was waiting for me at my flat, so we could…you know when I got back. Armin decided to leave, as I dropped him off using my car that he had drove to the hospital.

I was praying that only my mom would be home. Like I said, my dad is very stoic and sometimes it seems like he doesn’t even know I exist. However, he dotes over Mikasa and Armin like they’re his own children and I’m not. Maybe it was because they were both born perfect and didn’t have any anger issues or separation anxiety like I did. Armin was going into the medical field, as well, and Mikasa was training to be a police officer.

I was trying to be a writer. 

It seemed like something went right today since my mother was in the kitchen, putting what looked like shrimp in the steamer. “Eren!” She exclaimed, a smile on her face as she walked over, placing her hands on my cheeks. She stood up on her tiptoes, since I was about a few inches taller than her short stature of 5’5. She then kissed me on my forehead warmly, smiling as she stood up again with her feet flat.

“Hi, Ma.” I stated, softly smiling at the woman that I resembled more than anything. 

“Did you stop by for dinner? I was going to make shrimp for your father and I but I could make an extra batch-“

“No, I….I need to talk to you about something. Regarding the therapy meetings and classes.”

My mom looked at me with a concerned face, taking off her oven mitt and straightening her shirt. She then smiled at me, taking my hand and sitting with me at the table. “What’s wrong, honey?” She then asked, her normal syrupy sweet smile plastered onto her face. I really, _really_ didn’t want to ruin that for today. Like me, my mother had a short temper, although hers didn’t evolve into anger management issues.

“I don’t think these classes are right for me.” I then stated, hoping to get the matter off my chest and not anger my mother by beating around the bush too much.

Carla Jaeger, the woman who had given birth to me and would sacrifice her life for me, sighed and put a hand on her forehead. “I was scared this was going to happen…” She then tiredly stated, rubbing one temple with her fingers. It was clear she already had a headache today.

My parents fight very often, and it’s often because my father tends to be too blunt and short with my mother, who like I said, is very fiery and feisty and won’t go down without a fight. It’s never gotten physical at all, but I remember it from my childhood being very loud and some of the words were just plain old nasty. The arguments would normally end with my father working overtime for work and my mother crying and trying to hold herself together while watching Disney movies with me. 

“Everything okay, Ma?” I asked, leaning forward and placing a hand on my mom’s arm. I was hoping that it would comfort her like Mikasa’s touch did with me. But then again, I was not as cool and calming as Mikasa was. In fact, I was the direct opposite.

My mother waved her hand, once again sweetly smiling at me. “Nothing, just your father said you would end up not liking the classes as an act of rebellion… He’s worried you’re going to end up doing bad stuff because of your disorders, Eren.” She stated, tears brimming the edges of her eyelids. I hated seeing my mother cry. It was one of the many things that could break my heart. 

“I’m going to be fine, Ma, you know that.” I told her, trying to lighten her mood by smiling at her as well. My mom wiped her eyes, faking a smile but trying to make me feel better. For that little action, I appreciated her, and rubbed her back as she then looked down and started to let everything out again.

“If it makes you feel better…” I then sighed, about to say the words that were going to fly out of my mouth strictly for my mother. I didn’t care what my father was going to think, since in front of me, he didn’t seem to care about me at all.

“…I’m going to continue going to the classes. Not for me, though. For you, Ma.” I finally stated. My mother’s eyes widened as she wiped her eyes and hugged me, placing another kiss on my cheek.

“I love you, my baby boy.” She then told me, swaying as she kept me in that warm, stereotypical motherly embrace. I placed a hand on her back, smiling at her once again. “You’re a very good boy, Eren… Please, please, please just try to get better. Do this for me.”

“I told you I’m only doing it for you, Mom.”

“…Your father’s not going to be back until late tonight. Do you want to watch Finding Nemo?”

I grinned. “Of course, it’s my favorite.”


	4. Bubblegum Bitch

If I were to describe the feeling of walking back into Room 12 at MIISCFTT, it wouldn’t be nervous. Nervous didn’t even come close, because I was feeling much, much worse.

I was feeling sick to my stomach, like I was about to hurl on the floor, and Sasha vacuuming up Pringles like they were going out of style did not help AT ALL. Connie was the one who spotted me first, waving.

At first I thought they were going to be the only ones besides Dr. Hanji who were friendly to me, but I ended up getting greeted by about three other people, that one blonde girl with a split personality, Krista, the big buff guy who had ‘Reiner’ on his nametag, and his friend who had a nametag with the name ‘Bertholdt’ on it.

The buff guy, however, didn’t simply just say hi to me. No, he sat next to me and surprisingly talked to me about everything that was going on. I could feel anger glare daggers into the back of my head, but for now, I ignored it. Now that I thought about it, I still had her ruined sketchbook at home, didn’t I? I was going to have to do something about that…

“So where you from, Jaeger?” Reiner asked, sitting back in his seat with a friendly smile. I would have expected this kind of guy to try and take my lunch money, or pummel me so bad for punching Annie that I would have become one with my chair. But no. He just waited for me to respond to his question, and I had a feeling he would just keep asking more and more.

“Uh…” I nervously scratched the back of my neck. Mikasa and Armin weren’t here, and as nice as Sasha, Connie, and Dr. Hanji were, I still was not in my comfort zone. This was the same reason why middle and high school were so tough on me.

“Maria.” I then stated, nodding. “We moved here from Maria, my family and I.” 

Reiner smiled. “So you weren’t born here, huh? How long has it been since you moved?” The male asked, now sitting slightly closer to me. I guess this was his idea of making friends with one young male who had a reputation to be terrible with people? (That was a mouthful…)

“About…5 years. I still don’t know the city like the back of my hand…”

Shiganshina was the giant city I lived in, kind of like a miniature Boston but still huge. Maria was a small town, and it was where most of my childhood memories were. Shiganshina was different, and at first, I didn’t like it. Flash forward five years, and it’s…okay, I guess.

Reiner nodded, sitting back. “I was born in Stohess and I lived there with Bert. Annie lived there too, but after a while, all of our families ended up moving to Shiganshina. I’ve been here for a good ol’ fifteen years. Stick with me, and I can show you the beauty of the city.” He told me, grinning as he put a thumb up.

I awkwardly tried to smile back. Looking around, I then sighed, asking to nobody, “Where’s Dr. Hanji?”  
“Oh, that’s right, you left before she got to explain anything.” Connie stated, sitting back in the seat to my right (Reiner had taken my left.) “Dr. Hanji doesn’t perform any confessions or stuff on us. She just lets us talk and discuss things on our own until we have to leave. We can either choose to socialize, or we can sit in the corner and sulk while texting our crippled friend.” The guy pointed over to Jean, who indeed was sitting in the right corner of the room with a phone in his hand.

I sighed, looking down. Maybe Jean was just like me. Maybe he couldn’t stand being away from his best friend. Would I end up like that, though? Only focusing on Armin or Mikasa before anyone else? 

A hand suddenly patted on my back, and I found Reiner laughing. “I like you so far, Eren, so I want to show you something cool tonight.” He then stated, winking and walking off. 

Sasha suddenly tapped me on the shoulder as soon as Reiner left. “Hey, Eren, I think you should talk to Annie.” The brunette girl stated, a look of distress on her face. I sighed, leaning my head on my hand as I carried my weight with the chair’s arms.

“Why? She obviously hates me now.”

“That’s why. She’s been moping all day and hasn’t talked to anyone so maybe you could lift her spirits by apologizing to her!” The girl explained, trying to look at the best case scenario of the situation I was in. I did want to apologize to Annie for both punching her and ruining her sketchbook at the Starbucks bar.

Working up the courage that must have been impulse, I stood up and sat next to Annie in the empty chair to her left. Now I got to study her a bit more. Her hair was pretty straight, still pulled back in the messy bun I had seen her with for the both times I had met her. Her eyelashes were long, and her nose wasn’t as big as I thought. Sure, it was hooked, but it still was pretty average sized. She seemed to have a thing for hoodies, because at Starbucks she was wearing a white hoodie, previously she was wearing a black hoodie, and now she was wearing a grey hoodie with some band on it I didn’t even recognize.

“Uh…hi.” I nervously stated, trying to smile at her.

Annie continued sketching on a new pad that she must have bought after I wrecked her previous one. I felt bad, instantly, since I ruined all of those drawings Annie must have worked hard on.

When she didn’t respond, I tried to talk to her again. “…Hey.” I gulped, staring at her continuously. 

I stood there for about another minute before tapping her on the shoulder with a sigh. “He-“

“What do you want?” She coldly snapped, not even looking in my direction. Suspicion confirmed: I am on a short and angry blonde’s hit list.

“I just wanted to…er, try and talk to you?” I then stated, rubbing my arm. Like I said, I was terrible with people. It was part of my reputation.

“And then what? Try and get something out of me?” She blinked, erasing a bit off of what she appeared to be drawing. From what I could tell, it looked like some kind of mythical girl. Her body was covered in vines, and roses clung to her long and curly hair. Annie wasn’t bad at drawing, it seemed.

“Listen, I’m sorry for punching you, but I just wanted to apologize.” My patience was running thin. This girl appeared to be extremely bitter, and when I actually pushed away the fear and talk to her, trying to be NICE, she still gave me the cold shoulder.

“Just leave me alone.” She shot back, again, and stood up, moving to the other side of the room with a huff. Once again, Reiner sat next to me. 

“So you still up for tonight?”

\------------------------------------------  
“You’re shitting me.”

Reiner had dragged me out at 7 PM at night for THIS?! Although, I wasn’t the one who spoke. That was Connie, through and through.

We stood in front of a large strip club that was discreet in the day, but at night turned all bright and big for all men and women to see.

According to Reiner, Club Rose was a bisexual strip club that had both men and women dancers and men and women bartenders and waiters. He came here about a few times a whole week, just because he knew a couple people there that could cheer him up when he was feeling down. I didn’t really think that was true, though, because Reiner hadn’t stopped smiling since I first saw him.

“Trust me, man, you’re gonna love it.” The male placed a large hand on my back with a laugh as he guided me inside. Connie and Bertholdt reluctantly followed, the latter sweating like a pig.

I couldn’t help that my face had gone completely red the moment I walked inside. There was a topless woman dancing on a pole to some Skrillex beat I hadn’t even heard, then other dancers giving lapdances and chatting with the customers. The blond had already ordered us a table, and sat us down as we watched the sight in front of us.

I honestly wasn’t all that thrilled at the sight of somebody taking off their clothes for our pleasure, but I guess I was the oddball out, since Reiner and Connie eventually got drunk enough to throw cash at the stage while Bertholdt left early after only one glass of Diet Coke. I sat at the table, our waitress, Petra, occasionally checking up on me to see if I needed anything.

“So yer not enjoying yerself, huh?” Reiner slurred, sitting next to me as I boredly stared at the table. I shrugged, sighing. 

“Reiner, I’m not a big fan of big and crowded places like this… It also makes me uncomfortable sitting her and watching women take their clothes off for money.” After watching that one girl twerk on the pole like she had been doing it since birth, I really felt like I was out of place here. This just made me feel….unwell. 

The blonde gave out a hearty laugh, Connie joining him. Reiner then smirked, staring at me with his blurred vision. “Oh, just wait, Jaeger…” The male stated, his smirk showing his teeth. I could smell the beer on his breath all the way from across the table, and it made me want to gag. That was the same stuff Mr. Pixis drank when he came over to our house for dinner on some nights. 

“Wait for what? I want to go home, just let me, dude…” I whined, yawning and scratching the back of my head out of sheer sleepiness. The music was too loud, and the atmosphere was dark with too many flashing lights. 

“The next guy’s coming up, oh, he’ll make you want to come here every single day.”

What.

The lights on the main stage dimmed, and a fast beat started to play. I swore I had heard the music before, maybe by…Marina & The Diamonds?

The lights were different shades of pink, settling on a lean man in the middle of the stage. He was dressed in a skin tight police officer’s uniform. The moment the lyrics started, he gripped the pole, swinging on it like his body was a straight board.

_Got a figure like a pinup_  
 _Got a figure like a doll_  
 _Don’t care if you think I’m dumb_  
 _I don’t care at all_

He had a devious smirk on his face, the lighting making it hard to decipher what color his eyes were. They looked…silvery, almost. No, like thunderclouds. That would describe it perfectly. His pitch black hair looked almost blue, like it normally would in such lighting. 

He still held onto the pole, holding himself up as he rested one leg onto it and stuck his other in the air. As he did this pose, once again swinging with all of his might, Reiner dragged me closer. I was too captivated, however, to actually notice I was getting closer until I was leaning on the stage.

The dancer had pulled himself upside down, spreading his legs as he looked at the crowd by twisting and flicking off his cop hat. It seemed his eyes were clouded with lust, and suddenly, I locked with them.

_Candy bear, sweetiepie_  
 _Wanna be adored_  
 _I’m the girl you’d die for_

Standing back up, the man held one arm behind himself still onto the pole, zipping down his shirt and revealing toned abs. Although, his skin was almost white, like milk, and they fit well with the dim lighting of the strip club. 

Almost to seduce the crowd, he turned around and wrapped his legs around the pole once again. This gave the viewers a view of his ass, which I say, as a young male, was incredibly impressive. Turning back, he swung around again with one leg as the shirt came entirely off. 

_I’ll chew you up and I’ll spit you out  
‘Cause that’s what young love is all about_

The fast beat mingled as he ground his hips into that pole, and I think I knew what Reiner meant by ‘he’ll make you want to come every single day.’

Although I still didn’t like at here. I didn’t like the guy, either, but right now…he was making me question my sexuality. Yeah, like Armin. And only Armin was capable of doing that!

_So pull me closer, and kiss me hard_

Leaning back, the male’s head came close to my face. Looking at me and smirking, he mouthed his lips to the song, _“I’m gonna pop your bubblegum heart.”_

_I’m Miss Sugar Pink Liquor Liquor Liquor Lips  
Hit me with your sweet love, steal me with a kiss_

Reiner gave me a nudge, grinning, which I shrugged off. I was incredibly flustered, not sure what exactly this seducer was doing to me. My face felt hot, especially when I touched it.

The dancer once again spun around, grinding with the pole. He then swung around again, the pants coming off and revealing shorts that came up to his upper thigh. Booty shorts, basically.

_I’m Miss Sugar Pink Liquor Liquor Lips_

When he came to the crowd’s view, he gave us all a great few of his crotch, and I looked away. I pretty much looked like a virgin in a strip club, a place where virgins rarely hung out. I was no virgin, however, Mikasa could prove that.

I was, however, certain I was straight.

Not anymore. 

_I’m gonna be your Bubblegum Bitch_

“Reiner.” I spoke, once the dance was over and the stripper had disappeared behind the stage. “Take me home, please.” I then muttered, trying not to pass out from being overwhelmed by an exotic dancer that had just tried to seduce me to a song kind of about candy.

\------------------------------------------  
When I got home, I was surprised Mikasa wasn’t waiting for me. Armin was, however. He appeared to be sleeping on the couch, dressed in sweatpants and a grey t-shirt. The news was on TV, talking about some freak hurricane that would most likely just sweep over our peaceful city.

I ran my fingers threw my hair as I placed my keys on the kitchen table. In a big, messy pile was Annie’s crinkled and ripped up papers, still soaking wet and stained from the coffee I had spilled on it the other day.

I sighed, walking over as I tried to get a good look at them. You think they would be dried by now, but I guess not.

Then I got an idea.

Hanging up a clothesline in our kitchen, I dumped the drawing papers and wetted them in the sink. Graphite was a different material than ink, so hopefully, the lines wouldn’t get messy. Hanging them up on the clothesline, I started to blowdry the papers.

I was already tired, though. Like I said, I needed to get out of that strip club because I was exhausted, yet it wouldn’t let me.

Armin found me on the floor the next morning, trying to blowdry wet papers on clotheslines. And after that, when I woke up, I didn’t go back to Annie’s sketches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASEDON'TKILLMEFORTHISCHAPTERI'MSORRY-
> 
> Ahhhh, my favorite male character finally joins the fray... So if you can't tell, the stripper Eren is pretty much being seduced by is Levi, because you can't have an SnK fanfic without Levi. Now, I swear this isn't an Ereri fanfic. I'm not turning the tide on you. The man, however, is actually a big part of this story and like I'm planning for most of the other characters, will have kind of a sidestory involving him, Eren, and another character. He's actually going to come into play with Eren and Annie, too.
> 
> This chapter was really fun to write, my two good friends actually helped me come up with this idea (over Skype), and I've fallen in love with Marina and the Diamonds so why wouldn't I make Levi dance to Bubblegum Bitch? I sadly cannot provide a link to the song right now, because my computer has a tendency to crash on me in the middle of using the Internet so hopefully nothing goes wrong as I post this. Ha.
> 
> I'LL SEE YOU IN THE NEXT CHAPTER


End file.
